The Final Seal
by Ty3
Summary: Crossover. Dean and Sam discover the final seal that will set Lucifer free. Now they just have to figure out how to stop it from happening. Set after Sex and Violence 4.14 .
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a crossover fic. I just wanted to warn you guys at the beginning. I know a lot of people don't like them. I don't usually care for them either, but I had a dream about this and it just made such perfect sense and was so hilarious that I couldn't resist. Now, I don't want to spoil the surprise right away so I won't say what this is a crossover with, but I'm sure there are some astute people among you who will know right away. Furthermore, you all know how disclaimers go. I don't own anything except the crazy idea to write this story. Anything you might already recognize isn't mine.

**The Final Seal**

Dean glanced over at his brother from his spot on the motel bed. Sam had been pretty quiet for the past hour. He hadn't even protested Dean's incessant channel surfing until he'd landed on a countdown of Maxim's hottest girls of the year.

"Hey…uh…Sammy? You alive over there?" Dean questioned, tilting his head so he could see him better.

"Huh?" Sam asked, barely sparing a glance towards his brother.

"I really hope it's porn on that screen that you've been staring at for the past hour." Dean said, grunting as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

"What? No!" Sam protested, Dean's words finally penetrating his concentration, "I'm reading up on a possible hunt for us."

"Yeah?" Dean asked, slightly intrigued, "Something cool?"

"Maybe." Sam said, moving his chair so Dean could see his laptop more clearly, "I know we don't usually do big cities, but it seems like there's some serious activity in New York City. There's some pictures and reports of a large, red devil thing running around. Like a Jersey Devil, maybe. Official statements say it's all a hoax, but…"

"But you want to check it out." Dean finished. He frowned as he considered it, "Jersey Devil in the big city, huh? That sounds like a nightmare as far as cops go…but what the hell?"

Sam nodded, turning back to look at his computer again with a look of concern marring his features.

"What?" Dean asked, knowing that there was something else to this job that Sam had yet to tell him, "What is it?"

"Well, it's just that…I think I heard something about New York. From Bobby, maybe. I just can't remember what it was. You don't remember anything about New York, do you?"

"Nope." Dean shook his head. He shrugged, "Must not have been important."

"Yeah." Sam agreed reluctantly, "Must not."

***

Sam and Dean packed up early the next morning and were just stepping out of the motel office after returning the key, when they had an unexpected visitor. Dean frowned, teeth clenching and eyes hardening when he caught sight of the brunette leaning against his car.

"Hey, keep your slutty demon hands off my car!" he snapped, striding over and nearly shoving her out of the way by yanking the car door open.

"Charming as usual." Ruby replied, unperturbed.

"What are you doing here, Ruby?" Sam asked, his eyes flicking past her to his brother.

Dean was pretending not to be listening closely to their every word, instead focusing on throwing their bags into the car, but Sam knew better. Dean hated that he was still in contact with Ruby and Sam was frankly tired of trying to make him understand. It was easier just to avoid the issue by meeting Ruby secretly. And, usually, Ruby didn't have a problem with that, but here she was now, upsetting the tenuous balance.

"I'm here to see why you boys have been wandering around with your heads up your asses instead of trying to stop the end of the freaking world." Ruby replied, crossing her arms over her chest and not bothering to hide her obvious frustration, "I mean, seriously? I tell you that Lilith has broken more than half of the seals and you come here to knock off a Siren? Are you insane?"

Sam opened his mouth to reply, but Dean beat him to the punch, "Yeah, well it might help if you could actually tell us what the hell these seals are!"

Ruby spun around to level Dean with a fiery glare, "Do you have any idea how much danger I've put myself in just to get as much information as I have? I'm not exactly getting the company newsletters anymore."

"So what do you want us to do, Ruby?" Sam interrupted before Dean could make things worse.

Ruby glanced back towards Sam, the anger draining from her face to be replaced by worry, "I don't know, Sam. That's the problem. You need to stop her and we don't have much time left."

A frown tugged at his lips and he shifted uneasily before he decided to go ahead and ask her, "Do you know anything about a devil in New York?"

Ruby frowned in confusion, "What? What are you talking about?"

"Sam, why do you think she'd nothing anything about that?" Dean echoed her, just as confused by Sam's question but for different reasons.

Sam avoided both their eyes, choosing instead to take an interest in the asphalt of the parking lot at his feet, "I don't know. It's just a feeling I've got. Like maybe there's something important about this hunt, that it's not just a devil."

"It's not." Ruby agreed, making both Sam and Dean look at her sharply. Ruby glanced from one to the other before she continued, "I don't know much, okay."

Dean grunted at that, making Ruby glare at him before she continued.

"All I know is that downstairs they tell us to stay out of New York. I wasn't important enough for them to tell me why, but I got the feeling that it was something." Ruby looked questioningly at Sam, "You think maybe this is a seal?"

Sam shrugged, "Maybe. Maybe not. Only one way to find out."

Ruby nodded in agreement, "I'll see if I can dig up anything."

"Yeah, actual information would be a nice change of pace." Dean agreed sarcastically.

Ruby's lips twisted in anger and she began to take a heavy step towards Dean, but Sam stopped her, reaching out quickly and grabbing her arm. Ruby glanced back at him, her eyes still smoldering with rage, but Sam just shook his head. With an aggravated sigh, Ruby yanked her arm out of his hold and stomped off, disappearing around the corner and leaving the boys to themselves.

"Boy, I sure do love her little visits." Dean muttered, climbing into the Impala.

"She's trying to help." Sam protested half-heartedly as he moved around the car to the passenger side. He already knew it was pointless. They'd already had this discussion.

"Whatever." Dean replied, leaning forward and turning on the car. They had quite a few miles to cover and the ride was going to be tense enough as it was. It was best just to stick with his tried and true method of not talking about it. And strangely, Sam seemed a lot more inclined to do the same these days. Dean wasn't sure what that meant exactly, that his brother wasn't pestering him to open up, but he knew for sure he didn't like it. Sam had changed since Dean had gone to hell and Dean wasn't sure there was anything he could do about that. The frustration that left him with made him even more eager to go kill something nasty. With that thought in mind, he dropped his foot on the gas and sped off down the open road.

***


	2. Chapter 2

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Two:

Sam and Dean reached New York not too long after that. Dean's driving was probably the only thing that had been unaffected by his stint in hell. Dean only slowed down when he hit the city traffic and had no choice.

"So, how are we going to find this thing?" Dean asked his brother to try and take his mind off the infuriatingly slow, stop-and-go traffic, "This place is a little too big to canvas."

Sam nodded in agreement as he took in the city outside the car windows, "Let's find a place to stay for the night and I'll check the internet for anything weird."

"Sounds good to me." Dean agreed, "If only we could get somewhere in this stupid freaking traffic!"

Sam didn't comment. He was still trying to remember why this thing in New York seemed to strike a chord with him. There was that thing that he couldn't seem to remember and then this gut feeling he had, neither of which he could really explain, but that both seemed to boil down to this being significant. He briefly allowed himself to entertain the notion that maybe this was finally the key to getting to Lilith. Ruby still felt he wasn't ready to face her again, but Sam was tired of waiting. That bitch had taken his brother from him and he was more than ready to pay her back for that. But he was getting ahead of himself. This could be nothing.

***

The next day, Sam woke up early. He hadn't been sleeping well, anyway, so he finally just gave up and got out of bed. He could use a shower, but he didn't want to wake Dean just yet so he decided to check the internet for anything unusual.

An hour or so later, Sam stumbled upon just that. The source wasn't reliable, some idiot's blog, but what he was describing was exactly what Sam was looking for. According to this guy, some big, ugly, red ape thing wearing a leather duster and wielding a huge gun had saved him from what he could only describe as a "ginormous freaking scary ass monster" when he was attacked by it in a local park last night. Now they had a place to start.

"Dean." Sam threw over his shoulder towards his brother's bed. His brother groaned a little in response and Sam heard him shift in the bed, but he knew his brother wasn't awake yet, "Dean!"

"What?" Dean mumbled irritably into his pillow, the word so jumbled that it was only due to previous experience with Dean in the morning that Sam was able to decipher it.

"Get up. I found a lead." Sam said as he stood up, "I'm going to take a shower."

"Great." Dean grunted, pulling the pillow over his head.

Sam shook his head to himself as he headed into the bathroom. Dean would be fast asleep again before he even stepped in the shower. He'd have to wake him up again once he got out and he'd probably need to promise him coffee to get him to stumble into the bathroom to get ready. Sam loved his brother, but Dean was not a morning person.

Sam stripped off his clothes and stepped into a steaming hot shower. His muscles always appreciated the heat after a long drive in the Impala. The car was big, but so was Sam and it was tough to be cramped for so long.

Sam was just starting to really relax, massaging some shampoo into his hair, enveloped in the steam from the shower, when the sound of a throat being cleared caused him to stiffen, instantly going on the alert. Sam peeked around the shower curtain, blinded for half a second by the outrush of steam, to see Ruby standing in the bathroom.

"Damn it, Ruby!" Sam growled, "Get out of here."

"Why? Don't tell me you're turning prude on me." Ruby replied, raising a knowing eyebrow at Sam.

"Out." Sam snapped, "Now."

Ruby rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh so Sam would know just how unreasonable he was being before she turned for the door, "Hurry up. I've got news."

Sam quickly shut off the shower and grabbed a towel. He wondered momentarily how Ruby had gotten into the bathroom. His brother always salted the entryways and while Dean was a heavy sleeper as far as Sam was concerned, the slightest noise outside the ordinary or a presence that wasn't Sam and he was instantly awake and armed. Suddenly, Sam's eyes alighted upon a small window high on the wall in the bathroom. He hadn't noticed it before and Dean must not have either. That was how Ruby had gotten in. Frowning, Sam made a mental note to be more careful. His frown deepened when he realized that his clean clothes were in his duffle, which was not in the bathroom.

Sam wrapped the towel securely around him and headed out of the bathroom. He refused to show any embarrassment. This was his hotel room that Ruby had barged into, after all.

"Sam, why is there a demon bitch on your bed?" Dean demanded as soon as Sam emerged.

Sam scowled at Ruby, who simply raised her eyebrows questioningly in return. She looked quite comfortable sitting cross-legged on his bed.

"She says she's got news." Sam replied, continuing to look pointedly at Ruby to indicate that she should spill it.

"It's not a seal." Ruby revealed, "It's _the_ seal."

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean demanded.

"It means what it sounds like, special needs." Ruby snapped, "Whatever this thing is, it's the final seal, the one that releases Lucifer."

"Great. No pressure." Dean quipped sarcastically, "So what are we supposed to do? Kill it?"

Ruby shrugged, "That is what you're good at, isn't it, Dean?"

"Ruby." Sam warned.

"Can't you two figure out anything on your own?" Ruby demanded in frustration, "Seriously, do you just sit around on your asses until I hand you every damn thing?"

"I've got a lead." Sam said calmly, refusing to let her get to him.

"Good." Ruby nodded, unfolding her legs and standing up. She moved past Dean who was still glaring at her from his bed towards the door. She trailed her hand across Sam's bare chest as she passed him, "You find this thing and I'll try to find out what Lilith wants with it."

Ruby looked over her shoulder at Sam, then looked towards the salt line on the floor in front of the door. Sam silently moved past her and broke the line with his foot. Ruby nodded to him, grabbed the door handle and left, the door swinging closed behind her.

"You owe me coffee." Dean grumbled, disappearing into the bathroom a moment later.

Sam sighed and turned to get dressed.

***


	3. Chapter 3

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Three:

Dean prowled around the park a short distance from Sam who was doing the same. This park didn't seem to be very popular. There were hardly any people. They'd been here for about half an hour now and had only seen one guy wander through who'd looked homeless. No joggers, no people walking their dogs. The perfect place to get jumped by a monster. And there were signs of a scuffle. The trashcan that was bolted to the sidewalk was badly dented and askew, there were deep scuffs in the grass as if someone had dug in their boots and there was even some blood.

Dean straightened from his crouch and glanced over at Sam. Something had definitely happened here, but there was no trail to follow. Nothing led out of this area, almost as if neither of the fighters had left on foot.

"Sammy?" Dean asked, just in case his brother had found something else.

Sam shook his head, coming to join him, "This thing may be harder to find than I thought."

"Well, let's get out of here and get something to eat." Dean suggested, "I'm starving."

The pair strolled out of the park back to their car and piled inside. A photographer snapped a few rapid pictures of the duo in the black car before they pulled away. He frowned as he lowered the camera and reached into the pocket of his suit for a cell phone. The boss was not going to be happy about this.

***

Sam did more research over lunch and back at the hotel room. He eventually discovered even more reports of the devil. Apparently it was kind of notorious and the locals even had a ridiculous name for the thing. Sam snorted at the name and disregarded it. Even he'd feel dumb calling it that.

People talked of footage, but Sam couldn't find any copies. Everything had been suppressed somehow with a byline that it was a hoax or a stunt or even a movie shoot. It stunk of external involvement by someone powerful, maybe even government, which Sam found really strange. What was going on here?

Sam leaned back in his chair, putting a little distance between himself and the computer screen for a moment. His head was starting to hurt from staring at it for so long. He needed a break. Sam pushed his chair back and stood up, stretching a little before he headed towards the door. Dean was outside working on the car. Sam was sure his brother wouldn't mind blowing off some steam for a little while.

Sam exited the hotel room and found the Impala parked right outside where Dean had left it, the hood propped open, a rag draped across the grill. What Sam didn't see was any sign of his brother. Sam frowned in confusion and moved towards the car. He was just reaching for the door handle, thinking to open the car and glance inside for any clues as to his brother's whereabouts, when something struck him in the back and electricity raced through his body. Sam had a few seconds to wonder what the hell and to think about fighting back before his legs gave out. He fell forward. His mind told his arms to keep him from hitting the car, but his arms refused to respond. His head smacked into the car as Sam fell and he collapsed, unconscious.

***

When Sam came to, he immediately reacted defensively. His senses were in high gear as he took in his surroundings. His head hurt like hell and he was in a room with his brother. That, at least, was a relief. There wasn't much to the room. It looked like an interrogation room in a precinct, actually. There was a table in the center of the room and a couple chairs, as well as a mirror along one wall that Sam was sure was two-way. Had they been busted by the police or the feds? No, that didn't make sense. The cops thought he and Dean died during that precinct assault and without their reputation preceding them, there was no reason for the cops to jump them with tazers like that.

Well, now that Sam knew there was no one waiting to attack him, he turned his attention to his brother. Dean was pacing back and forth in front of the mirror, grumbling to himself. Evidently he wasn't terribly injured if he was moving around and cursing.

"Dean?" Sam ventured, pushing himself up to sit on the floor and reaching up to gingerly touch the spot where his head had met the Impala.

"You okay, Sammy?" Dean asked without pausing in his pacing.

"Yeah." Sam nodded, wincing as he touched the goose egg on his head, "Just hit my head on the Impala."

Now Dean paused. He looked over at his brother with a frown, "Better not have hurt my car."

Sam rolled his eyes and Dean returned to wearing a trench into the floor.

"Where are we?" Sam wondered out loud, not really expecting Dean to know anymore than he did.

"Hell if I know." Dean growled. He smacked his palm against the mirror, "Somebody better get the hell in here and start talking!"

Sam checked his pockets. As he'd expected, they'd taken his wallet and the weapons he'd hid on his person. Sam was trying to remember what ID cards he'd had on him last when the door to the room unlocked and slowly opened. Sam quickly pushed himself to his feet, frowning at the slight dizziness and nausea that hit him when he did so. Dean moved in front of him, instinctively moving to put himself between any possible threat and his little brother.

A couple of guys in suits entered the room and moved to stand on either side of the door as a third man, larger and bald wearing glasses, entered after them. He carried a folder with him which he set on the table and opened before sitting down. He looked at the two brothers, then back at the folder.

"Sam and Dean Winchester." he read aloud.

Sam and Dean exchanged a look. These guys seemed like government and they knew their real names. This was bad. However, this guy didn't seem to be too much of a hard ass or anything. Maybe they could still outmaneuver him.

"Look, pal…" Dean began, "I don't know who you think we are, but…"

"I wasn't finished." the suit protested, frowning at Dean in a way that said he'd dealt with Dean's type before and was harboring a lingering resentment, "According to the public record, you two were apprehended by the FBI as suspects in some murder cases, a bank robbery and grave desecration among other things. But before you could stand trial you were allegedly killed during a precinct assault. Now you're here trying to track down some big, red monster. Is…is that correct?"

The suit looked up at them for confirmation. Sam frowned in confusion and exchanged another look with his brother. This guy seemed to know all about them and their activities, but he seemed…insecure? Who was this guy?

"Who are you?" Sam asked out loud.

"Special Agent Manning." he answered. He didn't offer to shake hands, probably sensing that neither hunter would take him up on it.

"You're not FBI." Dean asserted.

Dean's opinion of the FBI was pretty low, but this Manning character was still a bit of a stretch even for them.

"No, we're not." Manning agreed.

"So who the hell are you?" Dean demanded. His eyes narrowed, "And what the hell do you know about a big, red ugly?"

Manning frowned, his eyes sliding away from the brothers to the two-way mirror. He seemed to be considering something before he replied. Finally, he sighed and stood up from the table.

"Maybe you'd better come with me."

***


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Some of you have already guessed the crossover, but if you haven't it's spelled out here. Finally, we get to meet our other major characters (whom I also, sadly, don't own)!

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Four:

Sam and Dean only hesitated a moment to follow Manning. Dean had definitely had his fill of the interrogation room and Sam's curiosity was in high gear. They moved past the two guys who were still standing on either side of the door, Dean eyeballing them as he did so, and out into the large hallway outside. More people in suits were moving around and Sam caught sight of a jacket with BPRD across the back, but was unfamiliar with the initials. However, he didn't have long to think about it as his attention was immediately drawn to the individual exiting the door next to theirs, one that probably led to the room on the other side of the two-way mirror.

Sam and Dean had come across a lot of strange things in their lives as hunters, but neither was prepared for a six-foot something, blue, gilled fish-man wearing black latex shorts walking towards them while giving them a friendly wave.

"What the…?" Dean mumbled.

"This is Agent Sapien." Manning introduced him, "He seems to think you two are trustworthy."

The amphibious agent nodded, holding up his hand, palm towards the two boys, and spreading his fingers apart, "Yes. They're trying to stop a very powerful evil."

Dean frowned, disconcerted, and took a step back. This looked like more of that psychic stuff that he wasn't very comfortable with. The only person poking around in his head should be him.

"You're a psychic?" Sam asked, looking from the blue palm to the face behind it.

Two large eyes blinked as he nodded again, "Yes. Forgive me, but we needed to know who you are and why you were looking for us."

"Woah, wait a minute here, Aquaboy." Dean held up his hands, "We don't even know who you people are and what do you…"

"The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. And please, call me Abe." Abe interrupted with a wave of his hand.

"The Bureau for…" Dean repeated, trailing off into laughter. He was about to say that he couldn't be serious, but cut himself off. He was talking to a fish-man, after all.

"This red monster you're looking for," Manning told them, "he's one of our agents."

Sam opened his mouth to ask another question when an alarm suddenly went off. The people trailing through the hallway all stopped and then began running in the same direction. Manning's frown deepened and he began walking hurriedly after them, fumbling in his jacket for a phone at the same time.

"You should probably come with us." Abe said, gesturing for the Winchesters to follow him.

Sam glanced at Dean. Dean shook his head to indicate that he had no idea what the hell to do in this strange turn of events. Sam shrugged in reply and started after Abe. If these people were serious, and they appeared to be, maybe this was a good thing. Maybe he and Dean could get some answers about this seal situation and possibly even some help dealing with Lilith. However, despite these hopeful thoughts Sam was still finding it difficult to believe that there was a whole agency that dealt with the same crazy supernatural world they did and they'd never known about it.

"What is going on?" Manning grumbled into the phone as if this was an inconvenience directed personally at him, "No…that can't happen. No, I refuse to believe that. Yes, I'll be there in a minute."

Manning hung up the phone, shoving it back into his pocket and pulling out some antacids instead. He quickly popped one into his mouth as he rounded a corner. He ignored the troll being restrained by some other agents who were too preoccupied to respond to the alarm, continuing to move quickly and grumble under his breath about undo stress. Abe's long strides kept him from falling too far behind. Sam and Dean were forced to move quickly and drag themselves away from the awesome distractions abounding in this building. Besides the troll, there were objects of supernatural interest peeking out of other rooms as they moved past that Sam was itching to explore. Even Dean was more than a little curious about this place although he was still pretty pissed about getting tazed.

Manning led them through a door to the outside of the building. There was a lawn surrounded by a secure-looking fence line that was guarded by agents with dogs. It would normally have been a pretty daunting sight to anyone approaching the site, but at the moment the lawn was littered with unmoving agents and even more that were surrounding a single form, numerous weapons leveled at her.

"Ruby!" Sam cried in surprise.

"You know her?" Manning asked.

"Unfortunately." Dean grumbled, "Shoot her if you want."

Sam glared at his brother before maneuvering his way through people towards Ruby. After a moment's hesitation, Manning began shouting at his people to let him through and lower their weapons.

"What the hell have you two gotten yourselves into now?" Ruby growled as Sam joined her, refusing to lower her knife.

"Ruby, we found it." Sam said calmly, moving towards her slowly, "We found the seal. It works for these guys."

"What are you talking about?" Ruby demanded.

"Come inside with us. I think…maybe they can help us." Sam admitted.

Ruby looked hard at Sam, weighing his sincerity. Finally, she sheathed her knife, "Well, you two can definitely use all the help you can get."

Sam smiled slightly. He could hardly expect anything less from Ruby. The agents around them backed away to let Sam lead Ruby back towards Dean, Abe and Manning, the tension dissipating quickly. Sam just hoped Ruby hadn't killed anybody before he'd gotten there. He watched as the fallen agents were collected by their coworkers, relieved to see that no one appeared to be mortally wounded.

"Alright. Everybody back inside. Back to work." Manning was yelling. No one appeared to notice, but order was reasserting itself anyway. Dean smirked a little. Clearly this place ran itself more than Manning did.

Sam and Ruby rejoined the group and Manning led them back into the building. They'd just gotten back inside the doors, Dean close behind Manning, Abe striding in off to his left, Sam and Ruby trailing after him when Dean stopped abruptly. Standing right in front of him, sticking out amongst the crowd of suits like the proverbial sore thumb, was a huge, bright red monstrous guy in a leather duster, black T-shirt and pants. His eyes were a disconcerting yellow and there were two large, flattened circles on top of his head. Dean automatically moved to grab his gun, momentarily forgetting that the BPRD agents had taken it from him while he was out.

"Abe!" the red…thing said upon seeing the other agent, "What's going on? Alarm stopped."

Abe gestured towards Dean, Sam and Ruby.

"Who are these guys?"

"They're hunters." Manning explained, causing Sam and Dean to both snap their heads up in surprise, "We've dealt with them before in the early days of the Bureau. We've had a sort of agreement since then that they would stay clear of New York and our cases. Only hunter we've dealt with recently has been a woman named Bela Talbot."

Dean scowled at the name, "She's no hunter."

Abe was looking interested so Manning continued, seizing the opportunity to be the center of attention for once, "Bela traded in supernatural items. We've bought some off her in the past, but we haven't heard from her for awhile."

"You won't." Dean informed them, devoid of any outward emotion, "She's dead."

"Dead?" Manning asked in surprise, but Dean wasn't really interested in talking about Bela. He was more interested in the red guy standing in front of him.

"Who or what is ugly?" Dean demanded, gesturing.

"This is Agent Hellboy." Manning said as Hellboy scowled at Dean, "He's the one you were looking for."

"Who me?" Hellboy asked in mock surprise.

At the same time, Dean pressed on, "Uh…okay. And the what?"

"Technically, he's a demon." Abe answered.

"What?" Dean protested, "No way! We fight demons. Demons look like this bitch, not like that. Ruby, show them."

Ruby practically growled at Dean, but flashed her eyes demonically black.

"Hey, Cuz." Hellboy drawled, unimpressed.

"This doesn't make any sense." Dean persisted, "I definitely do not remember any big, red dudes with horns and tails running around downstairs."

"Oh, yeah, because you're an expert on hell now, aren't you Dean?" Ruby replied caustically, "Don't tell me about hell."

A muscle began to twitch along Dean's jaw-line, a tell-tale sign that he was about to snap. Sam quickly intervened before that could happen.

"Say he's a demon, why haven't we ever met any demons like him before?"

"Guess I'm special." Hellboy offered without much interest, "Manning, what are these guys doing here?"

"We're trying to stop a demon named Lilith from setting Lucifer free." Sam answered for him, "Apparently, you're the final seal that frees him."

"I'm the what now?" Hellboy asked in confusion.

"Look, tall, red and…handsome," Ruby pushed forward, looking Hellboy up and down, "Here's the deal. There's sixty-six seals keeping Lucifer from making hell on Earth literally. Lilith has broken more than half of them. She's too powerful for us to stop her on our own and you're the key."

Hellboy glanced over his shoulder towards a beautiful woman standing just behind him and listening intently to the conversation. Dean's eyebrows raised slightly as he looked her over. Slim and fair-skinned with dark hair framing her face, she was a knock-out.

"Key, huh? Where have I heard that before?"

"Perhaps we should sit down and discuss this." Abe suggested.

"Lead the way." Ruby agreed.

***


	5. Chapter 5

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Five:

"Dude, this is awesome."

Sam stared incredulously at his brother as they followed the others into a luxurious study filled with books and artifacts. A large tank lined one wall and classical music played softly in the background.

"What?" Dean asked in response to Sam's look, "Do you know what this means?"

Sam shook his head, still giving his brother a look that said he was starting to question Dean's sanity.

"They know we're hunters, they do the same sort of gig." Dean said, using his hands to indicate that Sam should start putting the pieces together, "Finally, _finally_, I can impress chicks with my hunting prowess."

Sam followed Dean's gaze as he looked past the others towards the dark-haired woman standing next to Hellboy. Sam rolled his eyes and clapped his brother on the shoulder.

"Yeah, good luck with that." he told him.

"What?" Dean demanded, annoyed by Sam's immediate dismissal, "What?"

Sam didn't answer so Dean was forced to drop it as they found places to sit in the room. Dean snagged a large, ornate armchair before Sam could get to it, forcing his brother to plop down on a carpeted step nearby. Hellboy stood across the room from them, leaning back against a bookshelf with his arms crossed over his chest. The black-haired girl sat in a chair next to him, leaning against the arm closest to him. Sam's mouth quirked a little as he looked at them. Her body language was indicating that she was rather attached to the red demon. Dean was definitely going to strike out with that one.

Abe retrieved a couple books from the shelf and placed them on a table in the center of the room. Manning and Ruby stood at the table with him, looking curiously at the leather-bound tombs as Abe flipped through them.

"I believe I've heard about these seals before. Professor Bruttenholm mentioned them to me once, but we never discussed it in depth." Abe said as he searched for the correct section. Reaching it, he turned the book towards Ruby and Manning, "It mentions the one who will unlock the door to chaos. When chaos enters the world it will bring about its end. We have reason to believe that Hellboy is this key."

Ruby nodded in agreement as she skimmed the pages, "Yes, this makes sense. Unlocking Lucifer would make him the key to the apocalypse."

"So how do we stop it?" Dean and Hellboy both asked at almost the same time.

They glanced at each other in consternation.

"Nothing here." Ruby reported, pushing the book away.

"I'm afraid I don't know." Abe apologized.

Manning popped another antacid.

"Well, I took care of that door thing old Rasputin had, so maybe job's done." Hellboy suggested. He paused before he continued with a shake of his head, "Nah, my life's never that easy."

"Neither are ours." Sam agreed, "My guess is that there's still some way Lilith can use you and she probably already has it figured out. She's been more than a few steps ahead of us."

"No kidding." Dean grunted, absently rubbing a hand across his chest as he thought about sharp hellhound claws. That thought led his brain through a quick progression of memories that led to the reason he'd returned from hell. Maybe his surly guardian angel might know something about the situation, "But I've got an idea."

Everyone looked at Dean questioningly, making him a little uncomfortable. Despite being surrounded by supernatural creatures and people who dealt with them, he still felt a little ridiculous talking about an angel.

"I may know someone with some info about this." Dean decided to explain cryptically, "He probably won't show with this crowd, but maybe I can get a hold of him if I take a walk outside."

"I'll give you a pass to get back onto the grounds." Manning nodded.

"Good." Dean said, standing from his chair. He frowned as something occurred to him, "Uh…where are we exactly?"

"Fairfield, Connecticut." Manning reported.

Dean's frown deepened.

"Problem?" Hellboy asked, sounding as if he was hoping it might be. Dean wasn't particularly endearing himself to the red demon or vice versa.

"Nothing better happen to my car." Dean grumbled, stalking out of the room and letting Manning hurry after him. Dean glanced back at him over his shoulder, "And I want my gun back."

***

Dean wandered a ways away from the BPRD headquarters before trying to summon Castiel. Luckily, the building was in a rather remote area so it wasn't hard for Dean to find some privacy. On the other hand, Dean didn't have the summoning spell Bobby had used before so he was stuck with a slightly less impressive method.

"Yo! Angel boy! You up there?" Dean bellowed up at the night sky, "Hey! I need to talk to you!"

"Yes, Dean?"

Dean jumped and spun around. Castiel stood behind him, stoic as ever. Dean scowled at him.

"Do you have to do that?" he demanded.

Castiel didn't bother to reply, but raised a questioning eyebrow. Dean grumbled to himself about pain in the neck angels with no sense of humor before he explained himself.

"It looks like Sammy and I stumbled on the final seal, big, ugly, red dude. Says he's a demon. Problem is, we've got no clue what we're supposed to do with him."

"A big, red demon?" Castiel repeated, his expression changing to one of surprise and concern. That worried Dean more than anything he could have said. Castiel's voice dropped to a whisper, "Anung un Rama."

"What? What does that mean?" Dean questioned.

Castiel shook his head, dismissing Dean's question, "This is very serious, Dean."

"Yeah, I got that." Dean nodded, "Mind telling me why?"

Castiel took an unnecessary breath before he answered, "Anung un Rama is the Beast of the Apocalypse. He was raised by humans, fights for them, but his destiny is unchanged. He must be stopped."

"Woah, woah." Dean waved his hands, "Wait a minute. That sounds an awful lot like the crap you've been spouting about my little brother."

Castiel's frown deepened, "Their situations are not dissimilar, but compared to Anung un Rama, Sam Winchester is hardly a threat."

Dean paused, an idea coming to him that he wasn't completely comfortable with. He turned it over for a long moment before he verbalized it, "So…say I take care of this Anung Ramen dude, would that put Sam in the clear?"

Castiel appraised Dean, then glanced heavenward for a second before restoring eye contact with the hunter, "Should this threat be eliminated, we would be willing to spare Sam provided that he stops using his demonic powers."

Dean only hesitated a moment, "Deal."

***


	6. Chapter 6

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Six:

When Dean returned to the study inside the BPRD headquarters, Sam and Abe were engaged in an animated conversation, Ruby was pacing the room and Hellboy and the woman were having a whispered discussion. Manning was absent, probably stressing about something elsewhere.

"Well?" Ruby demanded when she saw Dean.

Dean shrugged, "He knows about as much as we do. This dude's the key, apocalypse now, yadda yadda."

"Great." Ruby grumbled, "So I guess now we've got to babysit his ass until Lilith shows up."

"Hey!" Hellboy protested, "Listen, sister…"

"Red." the woman cut him off, placing a gentle hand on his much larger one. She stepped in front of him, putting herself between Hellboy and the others, "So, you're going to stay to guard him?"

Dean moved forward to stand opposite her. A sly grin appeared on his face.

"I don't think we've been introduced. I'm Dean." he said.

Sam rolled his eyes, recognizing his brother's "suave" routine. Everything was either hunting or girls to his brother and now he'd found a way to combine the two. He probably felt like it was Christmas.

"Liz." the woman replied, eyes flickering with uncertainty at Dean's change in behavior.

"Yeah, it looks like we're going to have to stick around for awhile." Dean nodded, oozing nonchalance, "Maybe you could show us around this place?"

"Uh…yeah, sure." Liz shrugged.

Dean eased next to Liz, slipping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her away from Hellboy, "So, Liz, you ever hunt a wendigo?"

Hellboy's scowl turned to a murderous expression and he began to move after Dean and Liz. Sam prepared himself to intervene, but Liz shot the demon a glance and a quick shake of her head that stopped him in his tracks. Turning back to Dean, she offered him a smile.

"Look, cowboy, I think there's something you ought to know." Liz said, her voice friendly and her smile turning coy.

"What's that?" Dean asked with a grin.

"I'm pregnant…with twins…_his_ twins." Liz said, her smile widening as she gestured over her shoulder at Hellboy.

Dean stopped abruptly, then took a step away from Liz so he could look at her and past her at Hellboy. His mouth had dropped open.

"You…and him…you had…together…" Dean blubbered.

"Twins didn't make themselves." Hellboy agreed with a smug grin as Liz moved backwards to mold herself to his side, sliding her arms around his waist.

"So you've…you've got all the…uh…" Dean continued to make a fool of himself, gesturing vaguely below the belt.

Sam smacked himself in the forehead with his hand. Sometimes his brother even astounded him. Even Ruby sniggered.

"Uh, you better believe it, pal." Hellboy affirmed.

Dean stared at them for a moment before muttering, "Damn."

Throwing his hands in the air, Dean spun around and began stalking back out of the room.

"Where the hell's Manning?" he demanded. He caught sight of a suit in the hallway and rounded on him, "You! Take me to Manning. Dude has my gun and my car."

"Well," Hellboy mused, looking after him, "ain't he special."

***

While Dean was being escorted back to New York City to retrieve his car and his and Sam's belongings, Sam was fascinated by the library of materials this Professor Bruttenholm had collected in his study. Abe was also a wealth of information in himself and Sam felt almost instantly at ease with the unusual agent. They shared stories and experiences which seemed to really annoy Ruby who eventually decided to disappear in that disconcerting way she had. Sam was sure she'd resurface sooner or later.

Sam enjoyed Liz's company, too. She was eager to help them discover a possible solution even while Hellboy himself seemed rather bored by the whole thing. In fact, the red agent had announced not too long after Dean had left that he was going to do some target practice and had left with just a parting glance at Liz. The only problem Sam had with the girl in question was that he was fairly certain she was more than she seemed. Obviously she must be a rather unusual girl to be involved with Hellboy, but Sam felt there was even more to it than that.

"Ah, but so are you." Abe said, startling Sam with the unexpected comment. Sam looked at him in confusion so Abe elaborated, "You're more than you seem, Sam."

A frown flashed across Sam's face at having been caught in his thoughts. He was going to have to be more careful around a psychic. Glancing furtively across the room at Liz who was still searching the bookshelf for any relevant titles, Sam decided to see how much Abe knew.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked in a low voice.

Abe responded at the same volume, "You have abilities, Sam. Abilities that come from…"

"Shhh!" Sam interrupted before Abe could say anymore.

Abe cocked his head, confused. Rather than wait for him to read his mind, Sam decided to explain.

"Dean's not exactly comfortable with my…abilities. I told him I wouldn't use them anymore and I try not to talk about them."

"But…that's a lie. You have been using them."

Sam leveled Abe with an even stare. Abe finally nodded.

"Alright. I won't say anything. You have my word."

"What about this one?" Liz called, holding up a large book.

Abe looked over. He recognized the book, but it was possible there might be something there he'd missed.

"Worth taking a look. Bring it over here, Liz." Abe gestured.

Sam released the breath he'd been holding. He believed Abe would keep his word. Now he just had to focus on finding a way to stop the end of the world. Sam smirked at the thought. Yeah, no problem.

***

Dean didn't talk much with the two BPRD agents that accompanied him to New York. He was a little preoccupied with the helicopter flight. While it helped to be able to see the ground below him rather than a blanket of clouds, his anxiety about flying still made him feel like there was a distinct lack of oxygen inside the chopper. The fact that the agents could see how uncomfortable the flight was making him wasn't helping Dean's mood either. Smug assholes. If they thought they were riding back with him, they had another thing coming.

The helicopter landed on a helipad atop what Dean could only assume was a government building. Being around so many suits made him nervous, but he tried not to let it show. Most of the time, just acting like you belonged somewhere was enough to get you by. Escorted by his BPRD babysitters, Dean was guided downstairs through the building and out front to a black government vehicle. Once of the agents took the wheel while the other took shotgun, leaving Dean with the backseat. Dean hadn't ridden in the backseat uninjured for awhile. He wasn't sure he liked it.

"So…you boys work with the walking weird?" Dean ventured, the silence starting to bother him now that he was back on the ground and no longer attempting to keep his last meal securely in his stomach.

"What's it to you, fly boy?" the suit riding shotgun shot back at Dean, a frown pulling at his face.

Dean shrugged, "Usually the monsters try to eat me so it's a little weird for me to see them on this side of the fight."

"They've saved my ass more than once." the driver retorted.

"Me, too." Shotgun agreed.

"Well, ain't that swell." Dean drawled, unimpressed, draping his arms across the backseat, "You guys don't have much of a lifespan working with them, do you?"

Silence was a significant answer.

"Hope they at least pay you well."

"Well, what about you?" Driver protested, "Manning showed us your file. Wanted by the police in a handful of states until the FBI got onto you. Only your supposed death got them off your tail. What kind of job is that? I'd rather serve my country than be some kind of ghost-hunting vigilante."

"Yeah, must be nice to have big brother covering your tracks." Dean sniffed.

"Look, what's your problem?" Shotgun finally demanded.

Dean paused. He was being kind of a dick. Part of it was probably his innate disdain for authority figures and government agencies, but the rest of it? Frowning, Dean wondered if maybe he was a little jealous. Here, his whole family had dedicated their lives to saving people from the supernatural with no thanks and no help while these guys got a government pension and a retirement plan. Dean suspected that despite the top secret nature of the job, when one of these guys got killed by something, they were considered heroes. That's what his dad deserved, not this bullshit about an ex-marine who went psycho. Yeah, he was definitely a little bitter.

"Forget it." Dean grumbled. He shifted uneasily, the tension in the car starting to get to him now that he wasn't trading pot-shots, "This thing got a radio?"

Shotgun leaned forward and fiddled with the radio until a familiar song came from the speakers. Dean's lips quirked a little in surprise at the way this situation was unfolding. These guys liked classic rock?

"Metallica?" Dean questioned.

"What? You got a problem with the music, too?" Shotgun demanded.

"Nah, dude. Metallica rules." Dean replied, satisfied when the tension decreased notably. He reached over the seat to point out the window when he caught sight of the Impala, "There she is up there."

"What?" Driver asked, staring at the vehicle, "That is not your car."

"Yep." Dean said, grinning like a proud parent.

"That's…uh…that's a pretty sweet ride." the driver said slowly, sharing a meaningful look with Shotgun.

"Sure is. Enjoy the chopper ride, boys." Dean said, reaching for the door as the car pulled up next to the Impala.

The two agents hesitated for only a moment before quickly climbing out after him.

"Wait! I think we'd better ride with you. You…uh…don't know the way back to Headquarters."

"I'll figure it out." Dean said, digging his keys out of his pocket.

"Are you sure? It's kind of tricky." the driver continued.

"I got lost a couple times my first week." Shotgun agreed.

Dean crossed his arms and leaned back against his car, eyeballing the two agents. Maybe he should cut these guys some slack. It wasn't really their fault the way his family history had turned out. Sure hunters and agents were from two different sides of the track, but apparently they were riding the same crazy train.

"Alright, fine." Dean shrugged, "Hop in."

The agents practically scrambled to get in the car. Dean rolled his eyes and dropped into the driver seat, taking a moment to settle in to his spot. Yeah, riding up front was definitely more to his liking.

"Hey, what about your car?" Dean asked, glancing over at the other vehicle.

"I'll call someone to pick it up." the agent sitting next to him brushed off the concern, "Fire this baby up."

Dean grinned and turned the key in the ignition, satisfied when the engine roared to life, "What are your names, anyway?"

"Johnson." the brunette who had driven on the ride over answered.

"Jeffries." the blonde who had lost shotgun to the other agent and now rode in the backseat added.

"Alright, boys. Let's get rolling." Dean nodded back.

***


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Obviously, this is set after HB2: The Golden Army, but I'm also trying to work in stuff from the comics, as well. Hopefully it's pretty seamless.

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Seven:

Back at BPRD Headquarters, Hellboy was finding shooting at images of Manning's head on target paper less satisfying than usual. It didn't make sense really. He had every reason to be happy. He and Liz were on good footing for once, although he was sure that wouldn't last. Liz's temper was fiery on the best of days. Pregnant Liz was bound to cost him a lot of flammable items. Still, at the moment, she seemed happy which made him happy. So why wasn't he happy?

It could be these hunter guys and their apocalypse talk. But it wasn't like they were saying anything new. He already knew that he was supposed to end the world. Rasputin had told him that, Nuada had told him that, Hecate had told him that. So what difference did it make if these two dudes and some demon chick brought up his supposed destiny? Maybe because this time it felt different. This time it felt more like the near future than some far-off prophecy.

Hellboy scowled and squeezed off another round. Not one of the bullets was even close to the mark. Damn end of the world business was ruining his aim and his mood. With a sigh, Hellboy holstered the Samaritan. There was no point in continuing this. He didn't really want to waste any more time shooting at Manning's face anyway. No, what he really wanted was to talk to Liz. She could put him back on track, make him see through all this destiny nonsense to what was really important.

Hellboy stalked off the shooting range and back through the halls towards his father's study. The red and gold room was the center of headquarters, containing most of its research materials and more warmth than any other part of the building complex. He and Abe both found themselves drawn to the room regularly. Abe often sought the comfort of the book and music collection. Hellboy often found that simply being in that room made his father feel closer. If only he were here now. No matter what had happened when he was growing up, his father had always known what to do. It had been some time now since he'd been killed and Hellboy still felt lost without him. Here he was about to become a father himself and he was still clueless. Liz wasn't even showing yet, but the reality of the situation was really starting to sink in and he was feeling entirely unprepared.

"Hey, HB!" an agent called in greeting as he passed him in the hall.

"Hey, Donovan." Hellboy mumbled in reply, preoccupied with his thoughts, "You seen Liz?"

"Still in the study last I saw her." Agent Donovan replied.

"Thanks." Hellboy said over his shoulder, continuing down the hall quickly.

He only slowed when he heard voices drifting out of the study. Liz was talking and she'd said his name. Stopping at the entryway, Hellboy leaned against the wall, listening closely.

"…it's just that we haven't found anything in these books that spells it out for us." Sam was saying in response to whatever Liz had said, "You guys know him, but this seal stuff is new to you. Maybe there's something you haven't seen."

"It's his life." Liz protested, "It's not some story for you to pick apart. I'm not comfortable with that."

Hellboy smiled slightly for a moment at her words. Liz was never a fan of being treated differently. Hellboy didn't mind as much. He'd accepted that he was different. There was nothing he could do about it. But it was still sweet of her to try and protect him.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was important." Sam said, his voice gently insistent.

"I'm afraid I agree with Sam." Abe said, "I think Red would understand."

"Well, why don't we ask him then?" Liz demanded.

Hellboy decided this was as good a time as any to make his entrance. Pushing away from the wall, he turned and moved into the entryway.

"Ask who what?" he asked, drawing their attention.

Liz quickly moved towards him so he stepped down the few steps into the room to meet her. He gave her a fleeting smile, letting her know that he was happy to see her regardless of the situation. Her expression softened in response, not exactly smiling but her eyes reflecting her feelings.

"What's going on boys?" Hellboy asked, turning his attention to Abe and Sam.

"Sam has asked us about your history. He thinks there might be a clue as to how you are a seal." Abe answered for Sam, knowing that it was sometimes difficult to speak up when confronted directly by his large, red friend.

"Story time? Alright, I'll bite. What do you want to know?" Hellboy asked, reaching in his pocket for a cigar.

"Well," Sam said, treading carefully, "how about where did you come from?"

"Good question." Hellboy answered around the cigar in his mouth as he lit it. He took a few puffs, slowly exhaling the smoke before he continued, "They found me in a church in East Bromwich in '44. Guess I just appeared in some kind of fireball. Father named me and the Army took us to a base in New Mexico where I grew up."

Hellboy hesitated to mention that he'd revisited the church sometime later and found out more about his entrance into the world. He'd discovered that he was the son of a witch named Catherine Tanner-Tremaine and a demon prince. He'd found that he'd been conceived 300 years ago and had been waiting to come into the world. Hellboy hadn't shared this information with anyone, not even Liz. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. The more he found out about himself, the less he wanted to know. It was so much easier to just go about his life not knowing that he was a destructive force created for a purpose. He didn't like feeling like he didn't have a choice in that way, like he was just some kind of puppet.

Sam frowned as he watched Hellboy smoke his cigar. He could tell there was more to the story that he wasn't telling. There was something in his disconcerting yellow eyes that spoke of the same sort of anxiety that Sam knew shone in his own eyes when someone asked him about his history. Sam had told enough half-truths in his life to recognize one when he heard it. However, he wasn't sure whether or not he should press the issue. A painful past was not something you wanted to pressure someone about.

"Do you know why then and there?" Sam asked carefully.

The muscles in Hellboy's jaw tightened as his eyes cut to the younger Winchester. Damn kid was a little too perceptive for his liking. It was bad enough having Abe around when you wanted to keep something to yourself. He resisted the urge to snap at him, tell him to mind his own damn business.

"I'm thinking it's got something to do with my old buddy Rasputin. He wanted to use me to open this door, unleash this thing. Said it was my destiny." Hellboy raised his oversized right arm, "Guess this thing is the key. Thought about just hacking it off, but me keeping it is the only way to keep it safe."

Liz's hand touched his arm gently, sliding down to slip her hand into his large stone fingers. Hellboy glanced down at their joined hands, then over at her. She squeezed his fingers.

"So you're hand must be the key to unlock the final seal and let Lucifer free." Sam mused, "And that must be what Lilith wants."

"Swell." Hellboy muttered, unleashing another large puff of cigar smoke, "Just what I need, another lunatic out to use my swinging arm. I should've stayed retired."

Hellboy briefly entertained the thought of quitting again. He'd liked Ireland. He and Liz could have been happy there for awhile. Hell, they could have lived near a lake or something for Abe and maybe that gasbag, Johan, might have even been alright as a neighbor. But it was pointless to speculate. That opportunity had passed. They'd quit after defeating Nuada and Manning had begged and bribed them back into the BPRD. Hellboy momentarily smirked as he savored his cigar. He wondered how they'd worked his lifetime supply of Cuban cigars into the national budget.

"Sorry to ask," Sam said, continuing to tread carefully while at the same time getting all the practical information, "but you said you have to keep your arm to keep it safe. Does that mean that Lilith could…take it from you and use it?"

Hellboy switched the cigar to the other side of his mouth. He reached over and rubbed at his stone arm with his normal-sized left hand. Liz was still holding his hand.

"Yeah. If she can hack it off me, she can use it. I guess the catch is, if I die with it still attached, it's no good. So, since I'm not about to let anybody go to town on my arm with a chainsaw anytime soon, she's gonna have to keep me around if she wants her big finale."

"Well, now we know how this demon will use Red. Perhaps now we should try and locate her." Abe suggested.

Hellboy grinned and his hand moved back towards the Samaritan at his belt, "I like that idea."

***


	8. Chapter 8

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Eight:

Dean pulled up in front of the gates to the BPRD, his eyes wandering over the guards patrolling with their German Shepherds and a smirk tugging at his lips as he caught sight of the Squeaky Clean Waste Management sign. Yeah, there was definitely no way he was going to stay in that place.

"End of the road, boys." Dean announced to his passengers, "Do me a favor. Send Sammy out and tell Manning we'll be staying at the motel we passed on the way back here."

Johnson and Jeffries exchanged a look.

"Manning's not going to like this." Johnson predicted.

"Yeah, well there is no way I'm spending the night somewhere where there's a psychic who can poke around in my head and get ugly in there to come play rock 'em, sock 'em robots with my head for having a naughty dream about his girlfriend." Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat, "And tell Manning I'd better not find any of you guys staking out the motel either. No offense."

Johnson and Jeffries continued to stare at Dean with twin looks of skeptical reluctance. Neither of them wanted to deliver this news to Manning. It wasn't that they were particularly intimidated by their superior. They just didn't want to deal with the tantrum he would throw when someone else starting disrespecting his authority.

"Look, it's not like we're going anywhere or like we're going to rat you out to the media. We need to keep an eye on ugly in case Lilith shows up and we're wanted by the cops." Dean said, leveling with them, "Now, just send my brother out here, will you?"

Jeffries sighed and got out of the car, gesturing for his partner to follow him, "Come on. Might as well get this over with."

Dean watched as Johnson squared his shoulders and marched into the compound with Jeffries, shaking his head to himself as he imagined them relaying his words to their boss. Manning was just one of those guys who craved respect above just about anything else, but couldn't command it even with a gun in their hand. Dude was going to be pissed.

Dean fiddled with the radio while he waited for his brother. His head shot up when someone opened the passenger door and slipped in. He knew before he looked that it wasn't Sam. He knew the feel of his brother's presence and besides, there was no way his brother could have reached the car that fast. The figure his eyes alighted upon instead was much easier on the eyes.

"Liz?" Dean asked in surprise, eyebrows raised. He certainly hadn't expected the beautiful girlfriend of the Bureau's resident demon.

"Hi." Liz said in reply. She met Dean's eyes for only a moment, before glancing away, her gaze wandering over their surroundings, "I wanted to talk to you."

"What? They sound you out here?" Dean asked, skeptical that Liz had any personal reasons for conversing with him.

Liz shook her head, her short black hair fanning around her face.

"No. I was taking a walk around the grounds. I saw the car and figured it had to be yours." Liz said, her eyes dropping to the dashboard and her hand sliding across the bench seat. Her voice was strangely subdued which caught Dean's attention. Was something wrong? Dean's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Something wrong?" he asked, his voice a little gentler, the suspicion disappearing.

Liz's eyes lifted from the car's upholstery to meet Dean's again. Worry shown clearly in the brown orbs, making Dean shift to face her more directly. Dean might not be comfortable with the BPRD and he definitely clashed with their top agent, but he wasn't about to refuse his help to a girl in distress. Saving the day was sort of his job, after all.

"Tell me." he urged.

"I'm worried about him." Liz revealed, her voice soft but the emotion in her eyes intense. Dean didn't have to ask who she meant.

"He looks like he can take care of himself." Dean replied dryly.

Liz shook her head, dismissing Dean's comment, "You don't understand. On our last mission, HB almost died. We met this angel-thing who told me that the destruction of mankind is his destiny. Now you guys are here talking about the end of the world."

Liz paused to take a deep breath. Her hands clenched in her lap and her gaze dropped to her hands, her hair falling forward to partially hide her face. This was difficult. It wasn't like her to confide in strangers. The people she felt she could trust she could count on one hand. And yet…there was something about these guys showing up now, saying the things that they were saying that had her convinced that there was something deeper going on, connecting all of them.

"I thought I'd have more time." she admitted, her voice almost a whisper. She shook her head and raised her voice, "I don't think it's a coincidence, this happening now. I think you guys are right about HB being a seal."

Dean nodded slowly. So, she bought their story and was worried about the end of the world. Who wouldn't be? But what did that have to do with him?

Liz seemed to sense his confusion. She offered him a weak, embarrassed smile that faded quickly, "I know he acts like this is no big deal, but it is. You two seem to be an important part of all this so just…promise me you'll look out for him, okay?"

Well, he hadn't been expecting that. She'd come to find him to ask him to take care of the giant demon with the huge gun and the even bigger right hand? For a brief second, Dean felt a flash of pride. He must be pretty bad ass if she thought he could do something to protect that big, red monster. Then the irony of the situation set in, sobering him. He'd just promised Cas that he'd kill the guy and now he was being asked to promise he'd protect him. Good thing Dean was a skilled liar.

"Can't say that he'll much appreciate it, but for what it's worth, I'll keep an eye on the big idiot." Dean said, offering Liz a reassuring smile while at the same time making sure his features were carefully schooled to reveal nothing about his thoughts.

He wondered why, if he was getting orders from angels, he was still feeling a stab of guilt about this.

"Thanks." Liz said, relief overpowering her worry for the moment at least. Her anxiety for Hellboy's safety before she'd found out she was pregnant had been pretty huge. Now it was bordering on ridiculous.

"You know," Dean ventured into the ensuing silence, hoping to lighten the mood in the car. If he also managed to distract himself from his oddly guilty conscience, so much the better, "consorting with a demon? Back in the day, you could get labeled a witch for that kind of thing."

Liz smiled back at the hunter, her expression turning ironic.

"Really? What do you think they'd do to me?" Liz held up her palm and a small flame sprang to life, dancing across her skin, "Burn me?"

Dean's eyes widened and he instinctively jumped back. He'd assumed Liz was a human agent working with the BPRD. It hadn't occurred to him that she was a "special" agent.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

Liz closed her fist, extinguishing the flame just as easily as she'd created it, a brief flash of pride over her growing control making her smile for a moment. She turned her head to watch Dean's reaction passively. The surprise, disbelief and fear that she expected flashed across his face. She hated it that, almost without fail, those emotions greeted her whenever someone discovered her ability, her affliction. Only a select few- Hellboy, Professor Broom and a few others- had reacted differently. She could practically hear Dean's thoughts as he mentally recategorized her, shifting her from the cute girl column into the freak column. It still bothered her, but not as badly as it once had. After all, she'd asked Hellboy once what was more important to him, the world's acceptance or her's. He'd chosen her and he'd always accepted her. Could she do any less than to choose him in return?

Liz turned her eyes away from Dean back towards the BPRD. Besides, she reminded herself, even if she was a freak, it wasn't like she was alone. And soon, she'd even have a family. As long as the world didn't end.

Liz caught sight of Sam walking up to the gates then and let herself out of the car. She could feel Dean's eyes following her as she walked back towards the building. Sam offered her a smile although his eyes showed his surprise at seeing her out here with his brother. She nodded back at him, but didn't offer any explanation, simply moving past him back into the compound.

"What was Liz doing out here?" Sam asked his brother as he slipped into the car, taking over the spot she'd just vacated and closing the door after him.

When Dean didn't immediately answer, Sam looked over at him. His brother looked a little shell-shocked.

"Dean?" Sam prodded.

"Dude, I knew that chick was hot, but I had no idea." Dean said, his eyes still focused past his brother in the direction the girl in question had gone.

Sam shook his head, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Dean shook himself, snapping out of it. He turned and gripped the wheel, shifting the Impala into gear and starting away from the imposing building, "Girl's a fire-starter, Sammy."

"What?" Sam asked in surprise, glancing back at the swiftly retreating structure, "You sure?"

Dean glanced at his brother, his expression asking Sam if he was an idiot.

"Huh." Sam said, his lips quirking as he processed that information.

"Yeah." Dean agreed.

The boys both silently pondered a relationship between a demon and a pyrokinetic. Even for the Winchesters, things were getting interesting.

***


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: This chapter's a little shorter than normal. Sorry about that. I'm still trying to work out exactly how I want things to unfold from here. However, I hope you guys are still reading this and enjoying what I've got so far. I don't have Internet where I'm staying this summer, but I'll still be writing and I'll update when I can. Thanks!

**The Final Seal**

Chapter Nine:

Liz made her way back towards the room she shared with Hellboy at a leisurely pace. The cool night air felt good on her skin and, in the light of a nearly full moon, she felt she could put worries about the end of the world out of her mind for just a moment. Turning her face up to the moonlight, her hand drifted across her stomach. It was crazy to think that two little lives were growing inside her.

Liz allowed herself to think about the future for a moment. A future that involved her and Hellboy and two children. It was difficult to picture. Not only did she have no idea what their offspring might look like, she wasn't even sure what she would look like as a mother. Was she capable of that? Despite all their arguments, she felt much more certain about HB's abilities as a father. Abe was right, he would be a good parent. He'd always had a soft spot for kids and he was nothing if not nurturing with his cats. But her? She barely knew what family meant. She'd lost her family when she was still very young and even though the BPRD had tried to be a family to her, she'd quit it more times than she could count on two hands. She knew she wouldn't quit when it came to HB and the kids, but what if she lost control again? What if…?

Liz forced herself to stop, shaking her head as if she could shake her fears out of her mind. Of course it wasn't that easy. Her fears were rooted deep and would rear up again, she knew, but for now she could push them aside.

Turning to head back inside, Liz moved almost silently through the halls. Although it was getting late, there were still plenty of people hard at work within the BPRD. Liz didn't stop to talk to any of them, but navigated the halls from memory without paying much attention. She only paused for a moment when she noticed Abe sitting on the floor in the study, silently staring at a book he held in his hands. She'd noticed him with this book before and she suspected it had something to do with the Princess Nuala. She'd tried to talk to Abe a couple of times about the women he'd obviously cared for and lost on that mission in Ireland, but Abe had simply insisted that he was fine. Liz frowned as she looked at him. Abe was certainly not fine; she didn't need to be a telepath to know that. She just wasn't sure what she could do for her friend. She decided to leave him be for the night and maybe mention her concern to HB later. She was tired.

Liz reached her room and opened the door. This was a different room from the one she and Hellboy had shared before Ireland. Part of the deal for them to come back was that they would get a bigger room, one with a nursery for the kids when they came. The look on Manning's face when he'd found out about that had been priceless.

Hellboy had done quite a job on cluttering up the place already. Liz had been pretty annoyed by this development, but she knew he was trying to do better. He'd even found homes for some of his cats, bringing their number down to about a dozen now. She knew that was hard for him and she appreciated the steps he was taking to try to make her happy.

The man in question was lounging on the couch in front of the pile of televisions, his hooves dangling over the arm and his tail swishing near the floor. He was wearing the ridiculous boxer shorts she'd gotten him for Christmas the year before. They were black with flames on them.

"Hey, Sparky." Hellboy drawled sleepily, holding his left hand out to her.

Liz moved to join him, letting him wrap his left arm around her and pull her onto the couch with him. Although, since he was a fairly large guy, there wasn't a whole lot of couch left for her and therefore she was mostly just on top of him, but neither of them really minded. Liz smiled as she ran a hand down the side of his face.

"Anything good on TV, Red?" she asked.

"Nah." he replied, tightening his hold, his undivided attention focused on her, "Just waiting for you."

"You didn't have to."

Hellboy shrugged with one shoulder, "Wanted to."

He shifted Liz towards his right side so he could pick up the remote for the televisions with his left and turn them off. Dropping the remote, he adjusted his hold on her so that he could get up and carry her over to their bed. Liz protested for only a moment, she always did, before resigning herself to being carried. He deposited her gently on the bed, then climbed in next to her. Liz sat up to kick off her shoes and shimmy out of her pants before collapsing back onto the bed at his side. Her shirt rode up a little, exposing her stomach. Hellboy almost hesitantly reached out to rest his hand there. He still couldn't see any sign of the pregnancy and so it was still kind of shocking for him to think that his children were right there under his fingertips.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking up at Liz quickly with wide, worried eyes.

"I'm fine, HB." Liz assured him, just a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice at his overprotective nature.

"But…can you…can you feel them in there?" Hellboy asked, his eyes shifting between Liz's face and her stomach curiously.

Liz shook her head, "No. Not yet. I just sort of feel…odd. Grumpy, hungry, nauseous…"

Liz trailed off with an ironic smile. She wasn't particularly enjoying all these newfound side effects of the pregnancy, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

Hellboy sat up quickly, "Do you want me to get you some food? Or a doctor? Or…"

Liz grabbed his arm and pulled him back down, "I just want to sleep right now, Red."

"Oh, okay." Hellboy said, feeling sort of useless and more than a little clueless when it came to taking care of a pregnant Liz.

Liz didn't seem to mind, though. She snuggled in against his chest, her eyes drifting closed. Without even thinking, Hellboy wrapped an arm around her, bringing her even closer. He smiled when she heaved a contented sigh. How the hell did he get this lucky? He wasn't sure. But one thing was for damn sure. He was not about to let some stupid prophecy screw this up.

A couple cats jumped up to join them on the bed, one curling up at Hellboy's side, purring contentedly. The other batted idly at Hellboy's tail for a moment before she got tired of it and draped herself across his leg. Comforted by the warmth of Liz on one side and two cats on the other, Hellboy closed his eyes and went to sleep.

Meanwhile, in the woods that bordered the remote compound, a woman stood and stared at the buildings as if she could see through the walls and right into the heart of the supposedly secure facility. This woman with her pale skin, light blonde hair and long, white dress looked like a ghost in the moonlight. However, if the sinister smile on her face was any indication, she was something much worse.

***


End file.
